Opinion & Comment
Shevet Levi
by L. Jungerman

In the previous parsha it is written, "At that time, Hashem set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of Hashem, to stand before Hashem to serve Him and to bless in His name up until this very day." Says Rashi: "At that time -- when you erred with the eigel and the tribe of Levi did not sin -- He set them apart from you."

We learn here that setting apart the tribe of Levi was not a move simply denoting reward, but an outcome from the situation that was created. If an entire nation -- which experienced the exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea and then received the Torah at a momentous historic occasion -- is capable in spite of it all of erring in creating its own form of idolatry, this shows that there is a need for an entire tribe to guard and preserve the original truth intact, in its pure pristine form. This tribe would have to devote itself entirely to Torah, would have to stand in service before Hashem, would have to be altogether severed from mundane preoccupation so that it could protect the truth and integrity of Hashem's Torah; to bear the holy Oron. And all eyes would be focused on the tribe members in reverence, for guidance; it would serve as a yardstick to gauge how far the people had distanced themselves from the source so that they could return again. And thus it must be, for all time.

The act of the eigel did not stem from a desire to shake off responsibility or to exchange worship of Hashem for idolatry. Rather, it was the result of an error in the manner of serving Hashem. The Beis Halevi explains at length how those who made it, sought to attain a level comparable to that which was achieved by the making of the Mishkan. They regarded the eigel as a medium for drawing closer to Hashem. And precisely because of this, precisely because such a major error was liable to occur on such a great scale, it was impossible to relate and react to it differently than as a possible precedent for such future errors in judgment.

Who would guarantee that such similar mistakes would not develop again, when the Torah is a common and general heritage? All sorts of interpretations could spring up, from which it might not be a great leap, again, to the concretization of the errors and the creation of an intermediary imbued with spirituality, as it were. The danger was not theoretically far removed. History, distant and close, is a true testimony to this danger.

The threat is not only from such drastic results, either, but also within the structure of living a life of Torah and mitzvos. So long as there is a perfunctory, superficial preoccupation in Torah without the proper intensive study thereof, or a detached absorption in tandem with the daily preoccupation of livelihood and economy, it is impossible not to develop such a state of reversed or distorted priorities and values, where primary becomes secondary and vice versa. Customs will usurp the place of stringent halocho and "mountains suspended by a hairline," that is, vital matters, will be regarded as mere optional stringencies.

This balance, or imbalance, cannot remain thus for long. In time, the marginal things will receive more attention than the body of the laws. The Chazon Ish warns of this in Emunah Uvitochon, chapter 4:

"When they lack the wisdom of the Torah, their minds will create a new brand of Torah and revised commandments. According to their view, these innovations will be authentic and the Torah will be the original prototype. They will be exceedingly proud in having discovered their interpretation, though in truth they will be far from grasping the essential Torah. Only arduous toil in Torah can lead one to the truth and grant one the appreciation of its sweetness. The greater a person's potential, the greater will be the loss in his having left the walls of the beis midrash to follow false ideologies and pursuits of knowledge. Any disciples he produces will only be that much further removed from the Torah and its righteous ways.

"The service which Hashem really desires does not suffice with a dedication of the heart, but with an active informed practice of each and every commandment, in detail and in particular. For even if one professes to keep the Torah in general, he may still be lacking a knowledge of its laws, which can only be gained through the toil of constant inquiry and study. He will [even] desecrate the Shabbos without intent, in all pleasantness, and with good will and in total ignorance . . . "

The Chazon Ish closes with acerbic language: "Diligence through adherence on the one hand, and neglect of Torah-and- mitzvos study on the other, creates a whole new ideology that appears to many as something authentic, as something which professes allegiance to the kingdom of Heaven, even though its promoters sorely lack fluency and expertise in the pathways of halocho. But their declaration of allegiance is extremely dangerous. It is akin to atheism which denies the yoke and responsibility of Torah and is probably worse, since it accepts it partly, which is fraudulent and altogether deceptive. It is a designed, planned, fundamental form of subversion."

The only thing that can prevent the development of such phenomena of newness, modernity, updating and revision of the Torah is the creation of a counterbalance, a Shevet Levi to serve as guardian of the faith, a tribe that has been set aside, consecrated, to bear the holy Aron Bris Hashem. Here, in the midst of the camp of the Levites, the Torah can rest assured that it has remained intact as when it was transmitted at Sinai. Here, amidst those who genuinely toil and who are rewarded by the taste of its sweetness, can Torah be preserved and fathomed correctly. Here, in their bastion, they will fortify themselves and be able to repulse every attempt to change, tamper or substitute from the original.

"And the kohanim haleviim, sons of Tzodok, who guarded the vigil of My sanctuary from the distortion of the Bnei Yisroel from Me. They shall approach Me to serve Me and they shall stand before me . . . says Hashem" (Yechezkel 44).